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High-Output Holden VF Commodore HSV Spied, Could Also Mean More Powerful Chevy SS

Spotted in Australia was a lightly-camouflaged HSV Holden VF Commodore. This more or less confirms that Australia will be receiving a high-performance variant of the new Holden VF Commodore, which was unveiled a few months ago and is due to hit the Australia domestic market in June.

From the looks of things, the HSV VF Commodores were identified by the unique lower fascias and tail lights, and larger exhaust pipes. And while it wasn’t present, rear decklid mounting points suggest a rear spoiler will be present on the finished product, as well.

It may still be officially unconfirmed, but there’s a strong expectation of the HSV Commodore to feature a supercharged V8 engine, most likely the 6.2L LSA, found in the Cadillac CTS-V range, and Chevy Camaro ZL1. Such a powertrain would make the new HSV Commodore the most powerful car ever built in Australia. But will such a vehicle find itself in America as a higher-output Chevrolet SS? It certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Former staff.

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Comments

  1. It would be nice but not likely….but here is were the aftermarket can save the day…..

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  2. It would be a SS Chevelle in America. Think about it. What a great way to bring back the storied name plate with a modern interpretation. It would be a must have for enthusiasts and collectors alike. Not to mention, it would hang with a gt500 on the track and embarrass any would be charger track variant and totally clean the floor with any Hyundai Genesis r-spec.

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  3. Hope it comes with a 6speed man gear box.

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  4. I kinda doubt it that chevy will build a more ss version of ss or else that would probably cannabalize camaro or impala sales.

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  5. They could do it in very limited numbers but the CAFE on this car is an issue.

    I think we will not see much done to this car since it will only be here for about 2 years and will be replaced with the new lighter platform. Keep in mind work is already well on the way for the new car already and that is why there is some limitations on this one.

    This car could take some Camaro sales but that will not be a factor in 2 years when the Camaro will share a plant with Cadillac and possibly the new SS.

    As for Impala sales not an issue as these two car share 4 doors and 4 wheels but are directed at two totally different segments.

    You best bet for a Chevelle may be the new Sub Alpha RWD that may be coming.

    While old names are cool to a point I wish they would use some new names and leave the past to the past. For a car to move forward they need to leave some things in the past.

    The key for most MFG anymore is to appeal to the Gen Y buyers and not so much the Gen X. The one who captures the coming youth segments will win this game for many years to come. Few people under 45 really have much love for a Chevelle in the real world.

    Now when the new SS does hit if they sell it in a non SS form they could use the Chevelle name for the V6 version if they chose to do one.

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  6. I agree with Scott entirely. Well said!

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  7. I believe Scott pretty much says it. Also some past names should be left alone. There is always the chance of the remake not living up to its namesake and spoiling things.

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  8. Hopefully they change the name. SS for a model is stupid enough, but start offering different model variants it’ll get ridiculous. There is talk than GM is ditching the Colordao/Canyon truck names (Mark Ruess hinted) when the new midsizers finally launch in North America, hopefully, bot not likely since the NASCAR car, they do the same with the SS.

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    1. They should call it the Chevy SSSS.

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      1. SSSS with RS does have a nicssssse ring to it

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      2. haha actually if they call it SS *anything* say hello to boat/ship jokes.

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  9. Paul, that’s a big part of it. The other part is that using a heritage name can hold the modern car back. There is the old it can’t be this or it can’t have that which people rave about in blogs. Like using a twin-turbo V-6 instead of a V8, or having AWD or paddle-shift transmission.

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    1. First, nailed down everything I would have said, yet again.

      Second, bronc624 has pointed out something that makes me wonder if some of GM’s “fans” are really fans at all.

      “There is the old it can’t be this or it can’t have that which people rave about in blogs. Like using a twin-turbo V-6 instead of a V8, or having AWD or paddle-shift transmission.”

      Can you imagine GM having spent millions on new powertrains and drivetrain technology so that they can leverage their place on the worlds stage, only to have the tired and whinny people on the internet complain endlessly about how GM names their cars?…and that if GM is to re-use a name for any other their products, that it must, MUST, somehow be an absolute carbon copy of the original car from 35-50 years ago?

      I mean why bother with R&D or hiring engineers? The “best” GM ever built is already 40 years old, and the recipe shouldn’t have to change because it already is perfect!

      It’s a self-defeating, self-satisfying excuse to be lazy and complacent. It’s self defeating in that it argues that new cars are somehow inferior to old cars, and it’s self satisfying in that perpetuating such a idea of complacency is really just mental hand-job trying desperately to remember a past that scarcely anyone even cares about anymore.

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      1. “First, SCOTT nailed down everything I would have said, yet again”

        Fixed.

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  10. Like I said when they originally announced the SS and showcased it is that bland, unassuming silver color… that was (is) the rumored “base” model, while this story represents a potential shit-your-pants top level model. The only thing I can’t figure out is if the sales are already going to be restricted to small numbers for the SS we know about, how many of these things Super Super Sports would they produce and import? And at what point do they have too many cars with too much horsepower encroaching on one another’s sales (Z/28, Vette), granted there aren’t any others with four doors?

    Looking into my magic eight ball, I think this first model year will be an experiment by GM, a CRUCIAL one, to see just how popular the SS is. Cash is king, right? If they sell out and have a wait list and its profitable (albeit we know it won’t be THAT profitable), then they will likely just increase the number of imports on the “base” model. I think if we get a sister SS-V, its going to be in the all-new car that is going to be built in the States three years from now.

    If the “base” SS is a dud, or rather, only has a cult following of loyal supporters ala something like the 2004-2006 GTO, then I think we can only expect a similar performing SS three years from now — sleeper looks with a moderately beefy V8 like what we see now. If this car kills for GM as far as sales go, the sky is the limit and the Chevelle is likely back in 2017……

    PS- Speaking of nameplates like GTO and Chevelle, one can start to deduce the logic of GM selecting the name “SS”. How much flak did they take for putting the storied GTO name on an Australian built vehicle?? Remember that??? The SS will be (read again: WILL BE) the Chevelle when it is American built. Truth be told I wish Holden just became GM’s global performance platform with just three or four models and we (Americans) received a Commodore proper, but Pontiac will be brought back before that happens. It’s a damn shame too, the Aussies produce one hell of an automobile.

    Vote me up to get Manny/Alex to use this as an opinion/mailbag piece… haha…

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  11. First, LOL Manoli.
    Second, wow my simple comment above seems to have touched off some emotions.

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    1. I wouldn’t say it’s emotional. I think it’s more with what some people think of past as a measuring stick to judge the present with.

      Consider the LF3. Perhaps as much as the Gen V, it’s the brightest star in GM’s performance powertrains and it can’t find its way into the ATS and CTS soon enough.

      The last thing GM needs is to hear from old kooks whining about how it’s “just a V6” and that “Turbocharging isn’t American”. That is what I take issue with; these old kooks themselves who drone on endlessly about the past as if it was a reliable way to chart the direction of GM in the present.

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  12. here in aus holden does not have a requirment to reach a CAFE target, we can build as many or as few V8’s as the market can sell, the V6 model makes the business case for the platform the V8 adds to the reputation

    as for stealing sales from camaro most G8 base & GT models went to woman and familys, try loading a preschool kid into a child seat in the back of a camaro, goodluck with that, same buyer very different needs.

    have read about the order system with chev dealers having no ceiling cap for qty of SS which a dealer can order, chev will not flood the market with SS models as was done with the G8 just in case they don’t sell, but dealers can order as many as they can sell

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  13. Very true it don’t compete with the Camaro. Excellent car perfect in every way, infect the only car to come close to it & I hate to admit it is the BMW M5.

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  14. Gawdaddy with regards the best tecnology now and not thirty, forty years ago yes there have been improvements however some things work so why not sell both? Also spending money is all well & good but it needs to be spent wisely & not just wasted on pointless things that won’t get to the marketplace. The V8 works, there is demand for it & it has paid for its existence through years of sales.

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  15. Also to imply that cars of years ago are not very good suggests they were not very good in the first place & if that’s the case surly the new models of today are not too when compared to models in 2043.

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    1. “Also to imply that cars of years ago are not very good suggests they were not very good in the first place”

      No. To imply that cars of years ago were not very good relative to today’s cars, suggests they were only GOOD ENOUGH for the people of the time.

      How you managed to get that one wrong, I’ve not the slightest idea.

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  16. Lifelong GM fan from the age of about 7, they have always done it for me GM cars. I look at a old Vauxhall & tbh it still has that pull that no other car company can (with exception of GM muscle of 60′ & 70’s) yes it’s not always good to look back, but sometimes it is good to look back for ideas on the future and how to improve on the past, history although gone can be a good judge of the future through experiance & learning from successes and not so success. I am not a believer of standing still, to the contrary do things small or large to move forward otherwise if your not going forward your going backwards, so with this in mind improvements in technology can make everything better be it the V8 or other smaller engines & technology’s. GM needs to get back to the market leader it once was, not making mee too cars or copying what another make has done 5 years previous.

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